Oksana Markarova, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the U.S., is the special guest for an afternoon book presentation and panel discussion about the future of war-torn Ukraine at George Mason University’s Mason Square.
Rebuilding Ukraine: Principles and Policies takes place Tuesday, March 28, at 1:30 p.m., at Mason’s Van Metre Hall, Room 113, in Arlington, Virginia. The event is free and open to the public but registration is required at this link.
Panelists for the 90-minute event, which is sponsored by the Center for Micro-Economic Policy Research at the Schar School of Policy and Government, include the authors and editors of the book by the same name:
- Yuriy Gorodnichenko, professor of economics, University of California, Berkeley
- Ilona Sologoub, editor of VoxUkraine
- Vladyslav Rashkovan, alternative executive director of the International Monetary Fund
- Tatyana Deryugina, associate professor of finance, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
The discussion is being moderated by Solomiya Shpak, a Schar School postdoctoral fellow. She was at her home in Kyiv when Russia began its invasion in the early morning hours of February 24, 2022, and traveled with her family, while pregnant, for 22 hours to escape through Romania.
“This event is a great opportunity for the audience to learn about the most pressing reconstruction challenges facing Ukraine and how the Western countries and international organization can support the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine,” Shpak said. “Forums like these are important as they bring together scholars and policymakers to facilitate the discussion of the groundwork necessary for future recovery.”
“Russian destruction of Ukraine has been enormous,” said panelist Sologoub. “Not only in productive assets and land but millions of human lives have been destroyed.”
Ukraine, she said, will need all the support it can get for its reconstruction, including the support of scientists and researchers, in order to implement the “build back better” principle.
“The reconstruction implies not only physical reconstruction but also a complete reload of institutions such as the judicial system and public service. One of the principles of reconstruction is relying mostly on the market mechanisms rather than government decisions. This requires smart policy solutions that would create correct incentives for people and firms and speed up the recovery.
“With this event,” she said, “we would like to encourage Mason students and faculty to think of helping Ukraine, and one way to do this would be developing such policy solutions.”